Bill Sutter - The 2016 Carthage Chamber of Commerce Artist-of-the-Year by David Matthews

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ART IS LOVE!

At last Friday night’s Carthage Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet artCentral is proud to sponsor the 2016 Artist-of-the-Year Award.

“Art is love!” declares our Artist-of-the-Year as he holds my original painting embellished with the inscription of his recognition and a large clef note.

As artCentral’s Director/Curator I’m honored to present this award to the recipient selected by Ida Ruth Locarni, last year’s Artist-of-the-Year.

​As artCentral’s Director/Curator I’m honored to present this award to the recipient selected by Ida Ruth Locarni, last year’s Artist-of-the-Year.

The 2016 Artist-of-the-Year is Bill Sutter—talented composer/arranger, pianist and piano tuner, vocal teacher, linguist fluent in four languages, author and the long-time music minister at First Baptist Church.

Bill’s wife of 64 years, Jan, is an accomplished pianist. Their children, Lynn and Jonathan, also musicians, say Bill’s a “really cool dad” and a source of tremendous artistic inspiration for them and for a multitude of others.

Born in Carthage and for many years a member and great supporter of the Carthage Musical Devotees, in 2015, Bill wrote and published “Carthage Rag”. Just two weeks ago he led a choral workshop in Springfield. Bill’s artistic joie de vivre is a gift for all of us.

I congratulate Bill Sutter on being the 2016 Artist-of-the-Year.

In Bill’s own words: “Upon learning I’m to receive the 2016 ‘Artist of the Year Award’ by the Chamber of Commerce and the wonderful people of Carthage, I’m compelled to reflect and share these thoughts on how this came about.

We can make art in life when we show up and pay attention to our natural gifts and inspiration, develop our gifts, and give them expression through our art—our singing and songwriting, musical instrument playing as well as our painting, drawing, sculpting, dancing, acting and every other artistic expression.

The outward, artistic expression is a direct result of our inner focus, desire and thoughts.

Our endowed innateness, the art that is “in” us receives the inspiration from nature, God, life, the art of others, and being inspired, we feel we must let it “out” in what becomes our own artistic expression that reveals our own hopes, desires and observations of life.

I believe “Art is Love!”—the overarching and alive force of artistic expression. We have the choice to express this love.

Everyone is the artist of their own life. How wonderful it is! And there is a Master Artist, too, always there to guide us.

I hope these thoughts bring encouragement to be the life artist you can be and that you join with others through the arts in Carthage on the journey of bringing your own artful expression to life.”

“Art is love!” will be expressed by members of the Joplin Regional Artist Coalition in their “Love Languages” Exhibition at artCentral February 3-19. Opening Reception: Friday, February 3, 6-8 pm.